1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a sensor for indicating when an archer using a compound bow has drawn his or her arrow to a preselected point.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
On modern compound hunting and target archery bows, an arrangement of cables and pulleys is used to reduce the amount of hold-back force the archer encounters. The accuracy of a bow shot is affected by the consistency of the amount of draw back of each successive shot. Thus, the desired aim of an archery bow is consistently achieved only if the arrow is drawn to a proper draw position. The inventors are aware of a small mechanical spring loaded clicker that rides atop the arrow shaft as the bowstring and arrow are brought back to a shooting position. As the arrow tip withdraws from beneath a finger of the clicker, the clicker springs down and sounds an audible click of the side of the bow handle to indicate that the arrow has been drawn to a certain draw position. Colvin, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,689,887 and 4,813,150 disclose an archery sight that includes a light emitting sight pin, an electrical switch for selectively activating the light emitting sight pin, and an elongated cord extending from the switch to the bow string for closing the switch when the bow string has been drawn a predetermined distance to thereby activate the light emitting sight pin.
The prior art spring loaded clicker does not disclose or suggest the present invention. More specifically, nothing in the prior art discloses a sensor for use with a compound archery bow of the type including a body, a bowstring for being drawn by an archer, and cam means for connecting the bowstring to the body; the sensor including switch means for being closed by the cam means in response to the drawing of the bowstring; light means for emitting light when electrically energized and activated; and an electrical energy source for electrically energizing and activating the light means when the switch means is closed.